How hard do the Ms. Universe candidates exercise?

How hard do the Ms. Universe candidates exercise?

The Miss Universe mania has reached fever pitch in the Philippines, as pre-pageant events leading to the coronation night on January 29th are being held daily. As the entire nation awaits that grand finale, I couldn’t help but wonder about the challenges that these representatives have to overcome to be in tip-top shape. How hard do the Ms. Universe candidates exercise? After Googling for a bit, I now know the answer: VERY. The typical regimen is rigorous and consistent. Here’s a quick peek of what it takes to be crowned the most beautiful woman in the universe through the experiences of two successful contestants:

No pain, no gain

According to Norman’s Blog, Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach’s svelte figure is aided by the 15 weight training workouts fitness guru John Cuay has designed for her. One such workout is the weighted pelvic raise (4 sets of 20 reps) “to stimulate the muscle fibers of the hamstring, glutes, and core.” Other workouts include variations of functional training exercises and mermaid rotations. Check out the clip below. Some of these aren’t basic moves!

Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo, on the other hand, does a mixture of cardio and weight lifting with her personal trainer Rafael Ulloa. According to her trainer in this SHAPE video, their usual workouts are very explosive: “50 jumping jacks, 50 push-ups, 50 squat thrusts, and 50 mountain climbers in 3 sets, so it’s a lot of repetitions.” Whew…tiring, right?? The video below also shows her doing a fat-burning move that she says she also does in the shower. Intriguing, though I couldn’t help but think that that’s not too safe. Risk of slipping and all. 🙂

Abs are made in the kitchen

Abs are totally made in the kitchen! In the vid below, Pia shares with us the other essential part of the fitness equation: nutrition. To quote the reigning queen, “I have egg whites and chicken breast and vegetables.. they’re all boiled or steamed.” In her PEOPLE food diary, she also mentions incorporating lots of protein in her meals. She says that she likes food that keeps her energy levels stable.

Ms. Culpo’s favorite go-to snack, meanwhile, are unsalted almonds ‘coz “they’re quick and they’re not something you’d want more and more and more of.” She says that a low carb and high protein diet is the best way to stay lean and build the muscle that you need to build. This particular Stylecaster article allows us a peek into her food and fitness diary.

It still boils down to commitment

That they’re beautiful is an uncontested fact but – as these examples show – they have to work real hard to look and present their absolute best selves each and every day. I forgot if it was Miss Universe 1969 Gloria Diaz or Miss Universe 2013 third runner-up Arielle Arida who said that competing in the Ms. Universe contest nowadays is akin to preparing for the Olympics. Based on the stories of these two winners, I agree!

The question-and-answer portion

I want to end this post on an amusing note, so I’d like to share a clip of what I consider to be the BEST answer in the history of beauty pageants ever!! It’s also a fun fact to note that only those who make it to the top five get the opportunity to showcase their wit and quick thinking in the question-and-answer portion.

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